


Glass eyes

by myotishia



Series: Thin ice [7]
Category: Torchwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-17 15:57:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21057056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myotishia/pseuds/myotishia
Summary: An unassuming doll shop seems to be the source of something disturbing.





	1. Unwanted gifts

**Author's Note:**

> New reader? Start right [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18551278)

“Asmodeus, or Ashmedai, is a prince of demons, or in Judeo-Islamic lore the king of the earthly spirits, mostly known from the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit, in which he is the primary antagonist. In the Binsfeld's classification of demons, Asmodeus represents lust. The demon is also mentioned in some Talmudic legends; for instance, in the story of the construction of the Temple of Solomon.” Ianto read from the printout Elise had given him. “He has 72 legions of demons under his command. He is one of the Kings of Hell under Lucifer the emperor. He incites gambling, and is the overseer of all the gambling houses in the court of Hell. Some Catholic theologians compared him with Abaddon. Yet other authors considered Asmodeus a prince of revenge. He ‘is strong, powerful and appears with three heads; the first is like a bull, the second like a man, and the third like a ram; the tail of a serpent, and from his mouth issue flames of fire.’ That’s about everything we can find that isn’t a modern interpretation."

“He’s on his own for now so it makes sense that he wanted Elises body so he could open a gate for his army. If he’s the one who gave the jewel thief the time pause device then he’s just going to keep making our lives difficult.” Said Jack, leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed. 

“We don’t even know how long he’s been here.”

“He’ll show himself eventually. He’ll get desperate.”

“Until then?” 

“We act as if nothing’s wrong. Elise won’t be able to go anywhere alone though.”

“I’m sure she’s going to love that.” Ianto said drily. 

“It’s that or an indefinite stay down here and I’m sure she’d hate that even more. Where is she?”

“She said she was teaching Tosh how to cut a train in half. I have no idea why or if that’s a euphemism for something.”

He smirked. “No, I think she’s being completely literal.”

“Ok, widen your stance a little. You don’t want to fall over and get distracted.” Elise said, trying to simplify how to use the psychic blade in a more combat oriented manner. Tosh did as she was told before looking back at the ballistics gel torso that sat at the far end of the room. Gwen and Owen stood to the side, partially just to watch and partially to learn how the hell Elise cut a giant caterpillar/train in half. 

“Ready? Just channel that feeling you get in your chest whenever you’re angry down your arm. I know it sounds silly, just go with me on this.” 

“How will I know if it’s working?” Asked Tosh, looking at the blade held in her hand.

“It’ll feel like electricity in your fingers. Then concentrate on your target. You don’t want to cut too far and bring the building down.”

“No pressure then… Should I just-”

“Go for it.”

She swung the blade down, feeling a little silly but seeing small sparks shoot through the air. The bust didn’t seem to have been affected. She frowned.

Elise rubbed her back. “Give it a second.” She jogged up to the bust and poked one side, stepping out of the way as the two halves peeled apart. “See?” 

“That’s terrifying.” Said Gwen.

Owen chuckled. “You know you want to have a go.”

“It’s still terrifying. What stops someone getting hold of one of these and just wiping out a whole neighbourhood?”

Tosh turned and smiled brightly. “They’re DNA locked to the six of us. No one else can use them. Plus until you can safely do this you can’t take them out of the hub.”

“Ok. That’s fair.”

“Do you want to try?” She placed her own blade back in the case she’d brought them all in and held out Gwens. “It’s easy.”

She took it nervously and watched Elise jog back after turning the split bust sideways so it could be used again. 

“If you don’t want to I will.” Said Owen, approaching the case.

Gwen shook her head. “No, I do.”

“Come on then.” Elise guided her to a spot in line with the bust. “Just slice as if it was right in front of you, there’s no feedback so it can be a bit disorientating.”

“So, stance wide, feet planted…” The blade she created looked like it was made of flames and had a slight afterimage as it moved. “Charge, god that feels weird, aaaand-” She swung down, sparks falling through the air, a third of the gel bust slipped to the floor. 

“Good enough for me. What do you think Tosh?”

Tosh nodded. “That counts as a pass as long as the wall doesn’t fall down.”

“Great, let me go set up our poor, diced up, friend then it’s your turn Owen.” She jogged over and replaced the half that was too damaged to stay upright with the other half before returning. “This should be easy for you. It has a similar telepathic link to the singularity scalpel.”

He turned the blade handle in his hand, looking at the blue and red cutting edges. “Feels similar, right.” Sparks shot through the air and for a moment nothing happened but he had a very self satisfied smile on his face. The bust began to slump down and a perfect circle was cut into the middle.

Gwen laughed and rolled her eyes. “You are such a show off.”

“Why settle for a C when you can get an A and show up the teacher.”

Elise scoffed. “Show up the teacher? You wish.”

“Well, you haven’t had a go yet. Go on, your reputation is on the line.”

“Fine. Watch this.” She took her blade and, with a few swift movements, the leftover gel split into a cascade of thin slivers that had melted before they reached the floor. “You might always be a better shot than me and you’ll always be faster but blades are my thing.” She grinned. “My sword works in a similar way. It doesn’t do the projectile bit but the movements and feelings are the same… I’d better go clean that up and get the other one so Jack and Ianto can give this a go.”

Andria Lumos had been selling and repairing dolls for over twenty years but with the mass production of more and more lifelike dolls her business had ebbed. She still had a group of loyal customers but it wasn’t the same as it had been. She needed something that big businesses didn’t have. Something new. She lent heavily on the counter as a well dressed gentleman entered her small store.

“Good morning. Is there anything I can help you with today?” She asked, standing straight and giving him a welcoming smile. 

He smiled at her warmly. “I was actually hoping I could help a hard working business owner such as yourself.”

“Oh? I’m afraid my store’s not for sale if that’s why you’re here.” She tried to keep a polite tone but her disdain seeped through.

“No. You misunderstand. I do not wish to own your business. I simply want to help you show everyone that mass market, tacky, plastic can never replace real craftsmanship.” He placed a wooden box on the counter. “The eyes are the windows to the soul, are they not?” Opening it he presented hundreds of incredibly detailed and lifelike glass eyes, paired in small wooden trays. There were multiple different colours and sizes but they were all perfect. Andria marvelled at them. “These are…”

“Beautiful, aren’t they? Believe me, if you use these in your dolls and any dolls you repair those mass produced, soulless, toys won’t stand a chance.”

“How much? I don’t keep a lot in the till so I’ll have to go to the bank.”

“All I ask is that you use them. I do not want for money.”

“Thank you.” She beamed, closing the box and storing it safely under the counter.

“You have a beautiful smile.”

She blushed lightly. “I’m sorry, I never even asked your name.”

“No, no, I didn’t introduce myself. Terribly rude of me. My name is Solomon Ascher. In way of apology would you like to join me for dinner tonight?” 

She was taken aback by his forwardness but she hadn’t gone out with anyone to dinner since the divorce. One dinner couldn’t hurt. “Yes, I’d like that. I close at five thirty so… Six?”

“Perfect. I’ll be here at six sharp.” He said, looking delighted. “I’ll see you then.”

“I look forward to it.” She said as he left. A giddy feeling rose through her. It was like being a teenager all over again. She picked up the box and held it close as she carried it into the stockroom/workshop. A beautiful porcelain doll sat on her work table, waiting to be finished. She opened the box and took out a pair of petrol blue eyes, thinking it was the perfect time to test them out. They sat in the sockets perfectly as she glued them in place. She took the dark brunette wig from its stand and glued that in place too. It was perfect. The door bell rang as another customer entered the store. 

After a more relaxed day Gwen arrived home, hanging her jacket up.

“There’s my baby… And my little girl.” She chuckled, wrapping her arms around Rhys’ shoulders.

“Cheeky.” He smiled and kissed her on the cheek. 

“So, how was your day?”

“Mum popped round and left a… Present.” He said present as if he wasn’t quite sure if it was a gift or some kind of curse. “In that box on the table. She says it’s for when Anwen grows up.”

She walked over to the tall, rectangular, box and pulled off the lid to see a large, porcelain, doll with piercing petrol blue eyes. “That is the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I know. I was thinking of putting it in the wardrobe and only bring it out when she visits.”

“It looks like it’ll crawl out in the middle of the night and try and kill us.” She cringed, sliding the lid back onto the box. 

“She means well but… I nearly dropped the box when I opened it.”

“Please tell me you didn’t let Anwen see this.”

“Of course not. She’d never sleep well again.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever sleep well again.” She teased, walking over to her daughter and picking her up. “There’s my girl. Have you been behaving for daddy?”

Anwen smiled up at her mum and grabbed for her hair. She’d found that the baby had become fascinated with peoples hair, like most babies, but she had a habit of pulling with all of her tiny baby might. 

“We had lots of fun trying to clip her nails while she kicked daddy.” Said Rhys, poking Anwens nose as he walked past them to the kitchen. “What do you fancy for dinner? I didn’t have time to go shopping so we have pasta or pasta.”

“Such choice, how will I decide?

Andria had closed the shop and tidied herself up, feeling upbeat for the first time in months. She got so many pieces finished and even sold a couple. She looked at herself in the mirror, studying how her black cocktail dress fell over her hips. A knock on the door pulled her back to reality and she grabbed her bag and coat before trotting downstairs to meet her date. Solomon was dressed in the most well pressed suit she’d ever seen. His eyes seemed to flicker as he turned, giving her a perfect white smile. 

“Good evening. You look lovely.” 

Her heart fluttered and she blushed brightly. “Thank you. You look very handsome yourself.”

“You flatter me. I’ve made reservations for dinner, I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” 

He offered his arm and lead her to the restaurant where they were lead to a quiet table in a corner. She noted his expensive taste in wine and preference for rare meat. 

“So, you don’t sound local. Where were you born?” She asked over her starter.

“Somewhere a very long way away, but I’ve spent my life so far travelling. I spent quite some time in the middle east. I miss those days, life was so much simpler.”

“How did you end up here?”

“I was looking for a new home, however the current resident is being a little stubborn. Negotiations can be complex but I’m sure they’ll come around eventually.”

“Oh I hope so.”

“I appreciate your support. I’m not too concerned, just enjoying my time here.” He smiled, looking into her eyes. 

She felt a little light headed, as if she’d finished half of the bottle of wine even though she’d barely drank half a glass. She snapped awake, feeling a hand resting on hers.

“Are you alright?” He asked, his skin almost feverishly warm.

She grabbed her glass and took a few sips. “I’m fine. Sorry. I think it’s just a bit warm in here.”

“You’ve been working too hard.” He chuckled softly. “Did you test out the eyes?”

“Yes. They look amazing. I sold a doll to a woman for her granddaughter. Thank you again.”

“The pleasure is all mine.”

Gwen rolled over, opening an eye to see if Rhys was awake as she could swear she had the feeling of being watched. He was out like a light and snoring softly. Was it mommy sense? Anwen was sleeping soundly. Maybe she was just thirsty. She sat up and swung her legs off the bed, hearing something move in the hallway. Suddenly very alert, she let her eyes adjust to the darkness and crept out of the room. She kept her gun in a case in the hallway cupboard, knowing she would have to do that as Anwen grew, so there was her first stop. Home break ins were actually covered in the Torchwood training manual and were surprisingly blunt. As a Torchwood agent anyone breaking in to your home is considered an immediate threat, and that threat should be eliminated to the best of your ability as soon as possible. Granted the home invader had a more than zero likelihood of being an alien that plans to kill you, but still it seemed a little harsh. Weapon in hand she swept each room but found nothing. Nothing except the box the doll had been stored in open and empty. Who breaks in just to take a doll? The front door was still secure. The sound of tiny leather shoes running on laminate flooring pulled her attention in time to see the doll ducking into cover. Gwen wished she was more affected by the sight but she was just more annoyed about being woken up. She crept silently over to the dolls hiding place and grabbed it by the hair. It flailed about, its small ceramic fingers digging into her hand. She winced but tossed the doll into its box, pressing the lid down. The doll kicked from inside.

“Gwen? What’s going on?” Asked Rhys, having been awoken by the sound of movement.

“Come here and hold this down.” 

He did as he was asked, finding it a lot harder to hold down the lid than he expected. “What’s in here?”

“It’s the bloody doll.” She hissed, pulling a roll of duck tape from the cupboard under the sink. She began to wrap the tape around the box to secure it.

“What do you mean it’s the doll?”

“I heard it moving. I don’t know how before you ask.” 

He looked down at the box, still rattling from the things inside moving, being slowly cocooned in silver tape. “What do we do with it now?”

“I’ll call it in and hope Jack’s awake and willing to pick it up. Where did your mum get this thing?”

“She said it was from this little doll shop. Your hand’s bleeding.”

“Huh?” She looked down to see four tiny puncture wounds in the side of her hand dripping blood onto the floor. She hadn’t even felt the pain until now but the wounds began throbbing as soon as she noticed them.

As Gwen arrived at work the next morning she found Jack sat across from the doll who, though she was bound to the chair and the stack of books she was sitting on, had her arms free and was drawing or writing on the paper in front of her with a crayon. Tosh knelt behind the porcelain figure with a scanner in her hand.

“What are you drawing?” He asked, leaning on the table. 

The doll didn’t look up, it simply put down the crayon and pushed over the paper. A childish image of a doll with its head missing was drawn in bright red. 

“Huh.” He said flatly. 

The doll returned to its inanimate pose as if it had never moved in the first place.

“Have you got anything Tosh?”

“It’s not animatronic. In fact, other than a thin wire frame there’s nothing inside. The only thing I can find that’s out of the ordinary are the eyes. The core of each eye is registering as biological.”

“Any idea if it’s sentient or not?”

“It acts like it’s programmed to follow simple directives.”

Gwen walked over. “It was just wandering around last night. Do you think it was looking for something?”

“Possibly.”

“My bedroom door was open so if it was looking to hurt us you would have thought it would have just gone for it. It only lashed out when I grabbed it.”

“So it has some low level self preservation.”

Jack leaned back in his chair and studied the drawing before grabbing a few pieces of paper and fashioning them into a vaguely human shape. A paper doll. He’d barely had a chance to put it down when the porcelain doll lunged for it and tore the paper into confetti.

“All it wants to do is destroy other dolls. That’s what it was looking for.” He said, a little shocked by how violent such a small, and fragile, item was being. “Let’s hope it knows how to distinguish the difference between a doll and a baby.” 

Gwens stomach dropped. “I’m glad I woke up.”

The doll had returned to its inanimate state and sat perfectly still. 

“If it’s just the eyes that are alive then we can remove them from the rest of the doll. Stop it from hurting anyone.”

Tosh nodded. “I can cut through the wig at the back of the head and just pull them out depending on what kind of glue was used to put them in.”

“I encourage you to break the thing. I don’t want it back even if you take out the eyes.” Gwen grumbled, flexing her bruised and gouged hand. 

“Are you sure? It’s not much trouble to take them out and leave it looking brand new.”

“Even if you did, I can see myself tripping and accidentally dropping the thing from a great height in my near future.” 

“As long as you’re sure. I’ll get started.” She picked the doll up by its arms, untying the knot that kept it bound to the chair. It turned its head 180° and looked her in the eye, freezing her in place. She could feel it poking at the edges of her mind and a rush of panic swept through her followed by a deep exhaustion. Gwen grabbed the dolls ankle and whipped it onto the desk, the head shattering into pieces. Jack caught Tosh as she fell, the telepathic effect broken.

“You ok?” He asked, cradling her shoulders.

“I looked into its eyes and I couldn’t move.” She gasped, suddenly feeling a tiredness that spread through her whole body. 

“Well, I don’t think it’s going to be doing that again.” He said, looking back at the shards of porcelain still settling everywhere. Some were held together by fleshy tendrils that sprouted from the back of the eyes. They looked almost cancerous and tried to contact back together. Disturbed by the sound, Owen had marched up to see what was going on, only going back for a tank to put the thing in. He threw a pair of gloves to Gwen. 

“Try and collect as many of the shards as you can. I don’t know if they’ll be contaminated or not so don’t cut yourself.” He placed the fleshy growth into the tank and locked it. 

Gwen nodded, wondering if smashing it had been her best idea. 

“I thought this thing was meant to be a robot.”

Tosh shook her head as Jack helped her up. “That’s what I thought at first but no. Whatever that is was inside the glass eyes. As soon as I panicked it felt like it started draining me.”

Owen pulled off his gloves and dragged over a chair for her to sit. “Emotional vampire?”

“Possibly. It only did that when we were going to remove the eyes.”

Jack stood back. “Gwen, we need to make sure there are no more of these out in circulation. Where did Rhys say his mother got this from?”

“I’ll get him to text me an address.” Gwen knew Rhys wouldn’t be happy about this but what was done was done. 

Andria sighed happily as she sat on the stool behind the counter. She was sure she’d drank too much the night before as everything was hazy but she was certain she’d invited Solomon back to her place. She felt like she was a teenager again. Just thinking about it made her cheeks flush red and her heart flutter. She looked up as the bell above the door rand and a couple walked in.

“Welcome. If you need any help at all feel free to ask.” She beamed. 

Jack gave his usual winning smile in return, allowing Gwen to read the woman. “Just the young woman we need to see.”

“Oh stop.” her laughter was light and musical, free of any nervousness or the usual edge of stress that came with hiding something. “How can I help you then sir.”

“I’m afraid there’s been an incident with one of the dolls you sold yesterday.”

Her face fell and concern filled her eyes. “An incident? What kind? How?”

“I can’t give you details but we believe it was because of a defective part. Have you started using a new supplier or a different brand?”

“No… I mean… I started using some new glass eyes.”

“Can we see them?”

“Of course.” She skittered into the back room to find the box. 

Jack gave Gwen a look, wanting her opinion. 

“She’s worried for whoever sold her the eyes. I don’t think she knows what’s in them but now she knows something’s wrong she’s on edge.” Gwen whispered.

Andria returned with the box of eyes and placed it on the counter. “Here. This is all of them.”

Just touching the box he could feel something pulling from inside. He put his smile back on. “Thank you. Can you tell me where you got them?”

The woman faltered. “Well…”

“We didn’t want to say anything but… The incident involved a baby and we just want to make sure it never happens again.” Gwen interjected, knowing that going the emotional route would be the easiest way to get what they needed. 

Andrias hands shot to her mouth and she looked on the verge of tears. “My friend… Solomon Ascher. He gave them to me but I’m sure he would never hurt anyone.”

“He might not know so we need to speak with him. Do you have an address? A phone number?”

“I…” She looked confused for a moment. “He never said… When he left this morning he said he’d see me tonight though.” 

“Did he mention a time?”

She shook her head and sat, cringing as a sudden pain shot through her stomach. “N-no…. I’m sorry.”

“Are you alright?”

“Just a stomach ache. It’s just the shock, I’m sure. Is the baby alright?”

“They’re fine.” Gwen assured her, suddenly very worried about her. 

She nodded and lent on the counter, finding it hard to catch her breath. “I don’t know what’s happening.” 

“Jack, call an ambulance.” Gwen knelt next to her and took her hand. She was running an extremely high fever. “Where does it hurt?”

The woman couldn’t even say a word and Gwen began to suspect a burst appendix.

Owen took his time taking the flesh that had spread from the glass eyes apart. He’d killed it first but still, it hurt Tosh and so he was going to make sure it ended up in as many parts as he could get away with. The organism acted more like a squid than anything else and had tried to crawl away. The glass casing of the eyes was actually the shell of an egg. They weren’t targeting dolls exactly, the way they saw it they were eliminating competition for food. They didn’t know there weren’t eggs inside the other dolls. They did know how to manipulate the people around them though. The more of a fear reaction they got the more energy they could take and that meant scaring the living daylights out of whoever was around. Now to work out how to kill them without risking eye contact, other than blowing them up. Actually, blowing them up would work perfectly well but shooting them through the eye socket might be a bit traumatic for the dolls owners. If they could be boxed they could be crushed or sent to the incinerator. Also harsh but safety was priority when eye contact alone could put you out.

Tosh had insisted he go and work on the thing even if she was out of his line of sight. She’d always been like that and she always smiled as he left, thinking he never noticed. That had been their relationship though. Pretending neither of them noticed just in case everything went wrong. He kicked himself for every time he’d been a dick just to keep her at a comfortable distance. She was the only one who’d never given up on him. He looked down at his hands and smiled at the ring he’d been given the night before. The thin gold band should have felt like a betrayal but without a real proposal it felt more natural. He’d never get engaged again but a promise was enough. The whole thing had started as just trying to see what Elise was like drunk. It turns out she was one of the cuddliest drunks he’d ever known and she’d cried for nearly half an hour because they were too cute and it wasn’t fair on the rest of the world. She’d run off to her back at one point and returned holding her hands to her chest.

“I made a thing.” She’d said, swaying slightly. “But if you don’t want it then that’s ok.” Her accent was a lot stronger when she was drunk. Tosh had suppressed her giggles and assured her that they were sure they’d like what she’d made. She handed over the metal bands and smiled.

“I know marriage is out of the question but… I still wanted you to have these. I made them ages ago but I was too scared to show you.” 

He hoped she hadn't noticed how red he’d gone or the fact that he’d lost the ability to speak. Tosh on the other hand was almost in tears and practically fell onto Elise to hug her. It was a beautiful moment but the distraction was strong with the drunk woman. 

“We should make cookies!” She’d announced, as if one naturally lead to the other. 

Making the dough had ended up being good enough for her. 

A voice from the doorway pulled him from his thoughts. “We’ve got another doll. Wanna go smash it with me?” Elise grinned. 


	2. In flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tracking down the dolls eyes leads to a much more lethal problem.

Pulling up to the house PC Andy stood waiting. It had been a simple robbery. At least that’s what the homeowners thought at first. No money was stolen, none of the usual items you’d expect were gone. Just the dolls. The families ten year old daughter was heartbroken and it would sound like some kind of sick revenge if it weren’t for the fact that Andy had seen the damn doll move. He’d had the room taped off for gathering evidence and hoped that it could be dealt with before the parents started asking when their little girl could have her bedroom back. He was relieved to see Owen and Elise approaching. 

“Heard you had a doll problem.” Said Owen.

Andy nodded. “Through here.”

The two followed him, stopped for a moment by the patriarch of the family. 

The man was tall, bulky and very angry. “Who’s this.”

Elise looked up, making herself look as small and meek as possible. “We’re forensics sir.”

All the anger the man held drifted away and he nodded, mumbling before returning to the rest of his family. 

The girls room had been ransacked, chunks of plastic strewn across the pink carpet to make it look like more of a battlefield than a childs sanctuary. Sat in front of the window was an ornate porcelain doll, clothed in a frilly pink gown, golden curls decorated with a little metal tiara. 

Andy closed the door behind them. “The little girl said the doll did it. I saw it move.”

“Yea, Gwen had a run in with one last night.” Owen said, picking up the doll, making sure it was facing away from him. 

“Is she ok?”

“Pissed off but fine. Eli, can you hold its head steady?” He knelt on the dolls back as it began to flail. Elise knelt in front of it and grabbed its head as it tried to turn. He took out a syringe and pressed it through the back of the dolls wig, the blue fluid disappearing into the cavity. 

Andy looked down as the doll slowly stopped struggling. “What was that you just put in there?”

“Antifreeze. Most things die when you fill them with antifreeze.”

“So, that doll’s really alive?”

“Not anymore.” He smirked, holding the doll up to show the eyes folding back and oozing a dark purple fluid before he dropped it into a bag. “Ready to go Eli?”

She looked conflicted a she knelt on the carpet, scanning the plastic debris. “One sec.” She grabbed a torso and a leg, pressing them back together. “They’re not very strong and most dolls are made to be able to survive being pulled apart."

“We don’t have time for this.”

“I won’t take too long.” She continued piecing together the dolls and ones she couldn’t she found the parts for. “I’d need glue for the rest of these.”

“Elise, let it go.”

She sighed and stood, following him as he took the bag out to the car. 

“What should I report this as?” Asked Andy.

“A sick joke. Say the window was pried open and the insurance will cover it.”

“Thanks for getting here so fast.” 

“What are we for if not this? I’m just glad noone was hurt.”

“Me too. Tell Gwen I’ll call her later.”

“I will.”

Owen waited in the car and as soon as Elise sat in the passenger seat he turned to her. “What was that about?”

“I just feel sorry for her.”

“That doesn’t usually stop you in your tracks.”

“When I was a kid, my mum had one of her episodes and my room ended up looking like that.”

He frowned deeply. “I’m sorry.”

“No. It’s fine. I’m just being silly.”

“No. It was nice what you did. Let’s get back before Jack starts thinking we’re slacking off.”

Jack sighed, wishing the paramedics carrying Andria out hadn’t gathered such a crowd. He locked the store from the inside to keep out prying eyes.

“And I thought this would be simple.” Gwen leaned against the counter. 

“This gives us the chance to see if any other dolls have been sold. Anyway, isn’t it better that we were here to get her the help she needs?”

“I hope she’s ok.”

Jack tapped on the register screen, glad that it was logged in. He printed off the details of any credit or debit card transactions from the past couple of days. One purchase was from Gwens mother-in-law, so that would no longer be a problem, and a second one. He handed the paper to Gwen.

“Ask Tosh to find an address for the second buyer.”

She tapped her earpiece. “Are you still awake Tosh?”

“Yes. Just. What’s up?” Tosh said sleepily.

“We’ve got another doll bought from the store.”

“Oh, yes. Owen and Elise went to deal with it a few minutes ago. Andy called it in.”

She relaxed, “I’ll have to thank him. We have the rest of the eyes so there should be no more psychic squid.”

“Did you find out where they came from?”

“Apparently they were given to her by who we think is her boyfriend. She said his name is Solomon Ascher.”

“Let me see.” A soft tapping sound could be heard as she searched. “Hmm. That might be a fake name. There’s no record of anyone by that name in the UK right now.”

“Great. Ok, we’ll see what else we can find. Thanks.”

Jack looked up from the counter. “Let me guess, fake name?”

“Yep.”

“Let’s see if he left anything upstairs.”

The upstairs flat was understated, more for comfort than company. There were no photos on the walls but there were a lot of cushions and throws, all a little faded. A half empty bottle of expensive wine sat on the coffee table with two glasses, one with lipstick marks around the rim. 

“Can you smell that?” Asked Jack, looking for an open window.

“Smell what?”

“Fireworks.”

She sniffed the air and it was there, faint but definitely there. “Where’s it coming from?”

“I thought it might be from an open window but it’s stronger by the bedroom.” Je pushed the door open and scanned the room. It was a mess, the result of a passionate night but the only scent in the air was the literal smell of spent fireworks. What’s more it was cold. Unlike the rest of the flat, that was almost oppressively warm, the bedroom felt like an open fridge. 

“The thing that attacked Elise, Asmodei or whatever it likes to be called, it’s been here. Damn it!” He suddenly exclaimed. “Call ahead to the hospital. The woman needs to be put under quarantine.”

Owen didn’t like having to work inside the hospital because everyone could tell he was bullshitting to get them to go away. Most of the doctors saw his ID and kept out of the way but there was always one jumped up arse hole who just couldn’t let anyone else know more than them and they were the exact types to get themselves killed. The only thing keeping him from knocking this guy out was the fact that he was just following and not actively stopping them. 

“You can’t do this!” Shouted the head surgeon.

“Looks like I am. Do yourself a favour and stop following us.”

“I won’t let y-”

“You won’t let me what? You’re not the one in control of this situation. This is beyond you so sit down before you get yourself hurt.”

“Was that a threat?!”

“For fucks sake, Elise, can you deal with him. I have someone to save” 

Elise nodded and turned to face the man who’d been following them, holding out her palm. “Sir, if you keep insisting on trying to hinder us I will be permitted to use force. I don’t want to do that.”

“Under whos authority?” The surgeon growled. 

She pointed past him to Jack who was charging down the corridor towards them. “His.”

“And who is-”

“Elise, where’s Owen?” Asked Jack, blanking the mans existence. 

She pointed back. “Him and Tosh have already gone ahead. What kind of perimeter do you need?”

“As much of this department as you can. I’ve already informed security if anyone gets to be too much trouble.”

“Right. This is the head of surgery.”

“Good for him. Gwen, help her keep everyone out. Be on your guard for Solomon.”

“What do we do if he shows up?” Asked Gwen.

“Try and detain him. And no matter what happens, don’t leave Elise on her own.” He didn’t allow for further conversation, that could wait. 

The head surgeon, annoyed at being ignored, tried to push past them, only to end up in a sleeper hold and sat against the wall.

“Why can’t I be on my own?” Asked Elise, making sure the man didn’t fall and hit his head. 

“I have no idea, but if that … What are we even calling it? The thing that attacked you.”

“Fire breather?”

“Why not? With the fire breather around it’s best to not leave you alone.”

“Fun.”

The operating room was a mess. The surgeon lay on the floor, throat chewed out with small jagged teeth. Andria lay on the table, her lower abdomen cut open, still alive but only just. Owen swept the room, not sure if he wanted to find what had done this or not. A groan pulled his attention. The surgical assistant sat against the far wall a hand pressed against her throat, blood seeping from underneath. 

He crouched down. “Tosh, keep an eye out for what did this and keep your neck covered.”

Tosh looked at a set of glowing eyes above the door. “Owen.”

“I need to concentrate.”

“It’s above the door.”

“Then shoot it!”

“I can’t move!” She breathed, barely able to feel her arms. The eyes were this daemon things trademark weapon. “Don’t look into its eyes.”

He stood, leaning close to Tosh so his arm was in line with hers. “Then be my eyes.”

The imp creature hissed, baring its shark like teeth, gore still dripping from them. 

“Three mil up, two to your left.” She said, trying her best to be understood. 

Owen fired and the imps left leg burst open. It fell from the door frame and scuttled across the floor, losing eye contact and allowing Tosh to move again. The door opened and Jack raised an eyebrow at them. 

“Close the sodding door!” Owen shouted, worried that the imp could slip out. 

“It’s still in here.” Tosh explained. “But it’s injured. Don’t look into its eyes.” 

He turned his attention back to the surgical assistant on the floor who had already lost enough blood to put her into the critical category. If he was honest, half of her throat was missing and the artery had been completely severed. If he’d been there the second it happened she could have stood a chance but now she was past the point of no return. 

She coughed, blood running down from her lips, and looked up into his eyes. 

“Just hold on.” He said softly, holding his hand over hers to keep pressure on the wound. She fell limp, a death rattle filling the air as her lungs let out their last. He didn’t have time to think about it. He tore off his old gloves and switched to a fresh pair, turning his attention to the woman on the table. It looked as if they’d been removing the creature when it attacked. All he needed to do was repair any damage the imp had done and close the incision. That would be pretty simple as long as said imp didn’t jump out and attack. 

Jack winced as he realised where the imp was. He pointed towards the surgeons body so Tosh could circle around the other side and see how the body moved, chest distending beneath their scrubs. They both aimed and fired, the body falling still. 

“Is it dead?” She asked.

He looked up and back at the body. “I hope so, otherwise bullets aren’t going to cut it.”

A thin line of smoke began to rise from the body. He grabbed one arm and she grabbed the other, pulling the body out of the room and the many potentially explosive canisters. 

Gwen heard the gunshots and hoped it would be over. She’d taped off the area to hide anything that made its way into the hallway. A chill swept through the area. Elise shivered. 

“Did someone open a door?” 

Gwen shrugged. “Hospitals always feel cold to me.”

“It’s death walking through.”

“Eh?”

“When I was little one of the other kids on my ward said we had to stay in bed at night, because if you felt a chill in a hospital corridor it was death walking through to guide someones soul away, and you didn’t want to run into them in case they took you too.”

“Not afraid of ghost stories are you?” 

“We have literally met death, and fairies, and the undead.”

“Ok, you’ve made your point, but still.”

“Naa. I’m not afraid of ghost stories… I wonder how Ianto’s doing with the rest of the surgical team.”

“Retcon?”

“Yea.”

“Do you smell something burning?” Gwen turned to see Jack and Tosh dragging a body into the post open area of the hallway, kicking chairs out of the way and stopping only to grab a fire extinguisher as the body smouldered and small flames began to rise from it. 

Spiking peoples drinks wasn’t exactly Iantos favourite pass time but it had to be done. The members of the surgical team that had escaped the imp were sat in the break room in shock. Most still covered in blood. Most were already succumbing to the sedative effects of the retcon but one was fighting it every step of the way. Poor guy was just an intern and was just coming down from a panic attack. 

“What… What were those things?” The intern asked shakily. The first thing he’d said since it began that made any kind of sense. 

Ianto paused, believing there was only one imp. “Things? You mean more than one?”

“Yea. We extracted one of those little things when the one inside the body jumped out and bit Kyle. It was small but it just kept growing. What was it?”

“Where did the other one go?”

“It… I don’t remember… I … I looked down and it had these beady red eyes then Sandra pulled me out.” He coughed, holding his stomach. 

“I should get a doctor for you.”

“No. No. It’s just my anxiety. It feels like I’m dying but it’s all in my head. Just have to breathe.” Thin wisps of smoke rose from his lips as he tried to slow his shallow breathing. He cried out, the cracking sound of the mans ribs giving way. His loose scrubs strained to contain the creature moving inside. 

Ianto tapped his earpiece, knowing that whatever it was would probably want to keep eating and the rest of the surgeons were basically being displayed on a silver platter for it. 

“Bit of a problem. Don’t know if you’ve dealt with the one demon spawn yet but I have the other right here.” 

“Other? Where are you?” Asked Jack, the sound of a fire extinguisher blasting in the background.

“Second floor, east wing break room.”

A beast the size of a doberman clawed its way out of the surgeons body, shaking off blood and viscera.

“Great. It’s a hell hound.” Ianto grumbled to himself, hating that he was now spattered with blood. “Come on then fido, dinners no fun when it doesn’t move, is it.”

The hound tilted its head, saliva dripping from its open maw. Its nostrils flared as it scented the air. He just needed it to take a few steps and he could shoot it in the head. Depending on the thickness of its skull the bullet could go clean through and hit one of the innocent surgeons. He didn’t want to risk that. The hound jumped onto the coffee table, jagged teeth bared, snarling. Just a few more steps. Its claws clicked against the wooden surface as it stalked towards the edge. That was close enough. He fired three rounds into the hounds head and it lurched back. Unfortunately that didn’t put it down and seemingly furious it leapt for Ianto, throwing him through the door and out into the hallway. He brought up his arm automatically to protect his face and neck, crying out as the hound bit down on his arm. Its saliva felt like boiling acid as it mixed with his blood and soaked into the tattered remnants of his sleeve. Its breath smelled like a coal fire and the dim glow of its eyes seemed to highlight every infernal wrinkle on its face. Unlike most people looking anyone or anything in the eye made him feel incredibly uncomfortable, which was probably what stopped the beast from chewing out his throat. It wouldn’t be long before the beast hit bone but the pain eased slightly as hands dug into its jaws to pry them back. Jack, with one knee pressed into the creatures spine, pulled its mouth open with all his might. Ianto found himself being pulled back by Gwen and Elise, making sure he was out of biting range.

“Shooting it in the head doesn’t work.” He called through gritted teeth, watching Jack wrestle with the beast. 

Elise pulled her sword from her boot and crouched low before sprinting forwards and stabbing it through the eye as it turned its head to try and bite Jack. The blade skewered through its neck and into its body. It finally fell limp and she pulled back the blade, the beasts blood sizzling on the surface of the metal. The captain stepped away from the body to check on Ianto who had let Gwen tear away what was left of his sleeve. Deep gouges sat in a jaw shaped arch decorating his skin. They weren’t bleeding anymore but his skin was still angry, as if it was burnt.

“We need to get that washed off otherwise it won’t heal.” Jack said, offering his arm to help the Welshman up.

“Is this how it works? It just heals up really fast?”

“Yea. Hurts like a bitch. At least it isn’t a broken bone or lost limb…” He paused and looked back at the hell hound to see it beginning to smoulder. “Elise, that thing’s going to burst into flames.”

She jumped back a little. “Oh!” 

“When do you think Miss Lumos will be up to talking?” Asked Jack as Owen scrubbed the blood from his arms.

“Give her a few days at least. Why?”

“She’s the only one who’s seen what face Solomon’s using. The fact that he managed to get hold of a body at all is worrying.”

“If she remembers. Her fever might have caused some level of brain damage. I wouldn’t know exactly how much without a few tests but let’s just say it doesn’t look good.”

“Damn. So we’re back at square one.”

“Those things grew overnight. If you hadn’t been there when they started moving about then they’d be out on the street right now.”

“It’s not as if we can track him and send him naked pictures of his mother to stop him hooking up with whoever he runs in to. The way she was acting everything was consensual.”

“Somehow I don’t think she consented to being an incubator for his spawn.”

“I mean there was no fight and the top sheet was in the washing machine. No DNA to identify the body he’s using.”

“If he hasn’t just shape shifted.”

“Why make these little creatures anyway? If he has an army then all he needs is some control over the rift to let them through.”

“Didn’t the bitch queen of the rift say he was weak. Maybe he’s just powering up.”

Jack smirked. “Still wound up about her?”

“Always will be. Aren’t you?”

“As long as she stays in the rift I’m not going to let it bother me… Sooo.”

“What?”

“Do you have some news?”

“I have no idea what you’re on about.”

“The ring?”

Owen rolled his eyes as he dried his hands. “It’s not a big deal. We’re not engaged or anything… It’s just a promise ring.”

“I never thought I’d see the day.”

“If I’m honest… Me neither. Just don’t make a big deal out of it, yea?”

“I’m not the one you have to worry about.” Jack chuckled. “Gwen hasn’t found out yet.”

“Don’t you bloody dare.”

“Tosh went to check on Ianto… Who’s with Gwen…”

Owen rushed past him and down the hallway. 


End file.
